Saturday, July 15, 2017

A real hodge-podge (which pretty much describes my life this summer)

I don't think life can get much crazier or busier than it has been this summer. It seems that when I need the fabric therapy the most, I get precious little of it. I did FINALLY get the border sewn on this little basket wall hanging made from the scraps of one of Mom's quilts, and pieces of a favorite shirt of my Dad's. No name for it, as yet.

I actually started one of the three SALs for which I have been saving patterns. This is the Temecula Marvelous Mini Monday. The blocks are all supposed to have a border or two, and I haven't attached any of those yet. As you can probably tell, I have been digging into the Kansas Troubles scraps to create these. The little centers are 2" before they get their borders.

The organizing in my sewing room closet continues. I bought one more little thread holder. I prefer to piece and quilt with 100% cotton thread. Aurifil is my thread of choice, for both. However, the color selection is often too limited, So I end up buying a lot of Mettler thread. It is a tad thicker strand, and it is lintier than Aurifil, but the color selection is wider, so I often have to use it. Gutterman thread is even heavier than Mettler, but sometimes it has the color that I can't find in either of the other two threads. I don't like to use it on minis, because of the thickness of the strand, but sometimes I have to.

This week is the local downtown merchants' sidewalk sale. There were FQs for $1.50, and bolt fabrics that were $5 per yard. I didn't NEED any of this, but was happy to bring home a yard each of some fabrics by Lisa Bongean, Jan Patek, Kim Diehl, Judie Rothermel, and a couple of others (I am too lazy to go read the selvages again).

Last week I failed to show this bundle of goodies that arrived from Sandi, on a very draining day in town helping my Mom. Such a smile maker! Thanks to you, Sandi. Fun things just kept coming from the box. : )

Opinion Time:

Still in search of that elusive center fabric for my mini Dresden quilt. You can click to enlarge these photos and tell me if this striped fabric works for you. If so, should the stripes go horizontally, vertically, or on the diagonal? The top two in each example are just the rough cut circle, while the other four have been starched around a "perfect Circle". What do you think?

I have sent off my last swap quilt of the summer to its new home in New Zealand. It will be a while before it reaches that shore, but when it does, I will share photos.

One last thing, I have added another update to my Tuffet Tute in my "pages" below my header photo. At the very end of the post there is a link to a free download of Carrie Nelson's Sweet Liberty Tuffets pincushion pattern (Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.). She says it is officially out of print now, so she offered it on the Moda blog a while back, and I have linked to that page.

43 comments:

The homespun baskets still steal my heart....I love their homestead appeal.Of course, those fabrics had to come home with you, because you need the variety and needed some love:) Wonderful goodies to brighten your day.Then to the mini plates.....a hint about the stripes. Your choice depends on what you want the piece to reflect. Horizontal stripe will provide calmness and serenity...a peaceful feeling. Vertical stripes shouts excitement and movement...energy that can't be contained. Diagonallines are unsettled or unbalanced like they can't decide. So you pick which direction you want to give. This is a tip to remember for large quilt designs too.

You have some lovely additions to your stash. A great sale is a wonderful lift for a quilter's spirit! I'm partial to diagonal sets, so of course my vote is for the diagonal placement of those little circles. Aurifil 50 wt. is also my favorite for both piecing and machine quilting. It's not available locally so I order from Red Rock Threads which has their complete color selection, and so far I've been lucky enough to always find a matching shade.

The basket wall hanging is gorgeous; I love the colors. You bought some great fabrics at some great deals--double win! I actually like the diagonal stripes on your dresden blocks. My next choice would be vertical. Whatever you decide will be perfect!

Blue and brown are my favorite color combination. Love the basket quilt.My opinion for the Dresden plate circles is diagonal. Now I am off to the Temecula web site to check out the mini blocks. Hope your summer continues to let you have some stitching time.

Love the baskets. Great job. I am not hot on the striped fabric myself. I think it distracts from the dresdens. How about a solid or tiny print. You got some choices from the new stash fabrics you bought! JUst mymthoughts! Have a great weekend. We are off to a swim meet for the grandgirls.Mary

I wouldn't have been able to pass up those bargains either, whether needed or not! I'm kind of stumped on the Dresden centers. I would probably have them going every which way just for fun, but I totally understand that it would make some people go crazy--lol!

I love your bargain fabrics! Beautiful! And the basket quilt is so special -- love memory quilts. Have you tried the diagonal stripes not all uniform? Maybe 1 or 2 going a different way would look fun. I love the mini dresdans! Your blog is always inspirational - thanks for sharing!

The baskets are so pretty, excellent work. I love the connection of your parents in your projects, such treasures. Since you asked for opinions: the striped fabric doesn't work for me on the Dresden plates. I wonder how a smaller scale stripe would look. I'm sure you will make the best decision based on your good taste.

I think you got a name for the basket mini! Dad's Baskets sounds great. I like the stripe diagonally oriented on your flower centers. Tiny tiny SAL blocks would leave me frustrated! My machine hates Mettler and loves Gutterman. I have bought Aurifil occasionally and it works. Great gifts! Hope some down time is headed your way.

I LOVE baskets! How very special that you used fabric from your dad's shirts and your mom's scraps! Love that one but I'm very curious about HOW small you made it!! You didn't tell! Love what you bought at the bargain sale. I am pretty sure I have that grey-ish print on the right, and I love it.As for the dresden centers, I'd go with plan B. I honestly don't think the stripe does them much justice.Hope life quiets down a bit now...xxxs,

I have been really bad about commenting lately...sorry :(do the centers of the plates all have to be going the same direction? If you think they do then I vote for vertical!I like the little Marvelous Mini Monday blocks!I didn't make it to the sidewalk sale this weekend :(...probably a good thing though since I would just buy more fabric for which I don't have room!

Love the fabrics you brought, especially the shirtings prints and the bright green. Love a local bargain! The basket quilt is very sweet, another lovely memento. Sew pleased you decided to join the Marvelous Mini Monday! I think that waiting and putting on the borders is a wise idea, until we see how the layout looks. I am still struggling with my broken dishes block from two weeks ago, cut off all my points :( accuracy is escaping me, despite opening seams. Next attempt I am going to ditch my Guttermann thread after hearing your explanation of thread size and see if that helps, thank you!Diagonal stripes.

Good stuff going on back there!! I love the strips and my favorite would be diagonally. And dang those little Monday Mini blocks are sooooo tiny and cute!! You have the patience of a Saint!! Thanks for the pincushion link. I have that pattern someplace but the trick is, where is that someplace? And your fabrics are wonderful!! Miss ya!!

That basket quilt just steals my heart, love the fabrics you put together and the meaning behind them. I'm not sure about the stripe; I'd try for more contrast but if you keep it I like it in the diagonal so it doesn't blend as much with your plaid border.

You have been busy Janet. I love the basket quilt. What great bargains,,,it's been a while since FQ were $1.50.Not sure about the strip fabric, I'm thinking it's more the colour that doesn't work for me..horizontal would be my choice if you use it..

Love your Dresdens! I just might use the tiny floral fabric just to the right of the plaid sashings, or a solid. If I used a stripe, it would have to be horizontal. For a name, how about "Dad's Shirts in Mom's Baskets"? Your pin cushions are so cute! Thanks for the links. ---"Love"

Lots of wonderful creative projects here Janet ... you are always so prolific with your creativity. I have serious "thread holder envy" !!! Is there such a thing !!?? They all look so beautiful & so tidy :-) Have a great, creative week. xxx

What an impressive collection of thread - wow! Your baskets are charming - love the setting. the mini SAL is right up your alley.great prices on what looks like really great fabrics - good for you! what nice fun mail. sorry you've been dealing with so much. I think the stripes look good - I wonder though how a more solid fabric might set them off.I'll check out your tute

Stitching time, hooking time, quilting time has been spent cutting grass, pulling weeds and canning vegetables. I keep telling myself it is summer and this is what has to be done in the summer. You are making great progress in organizing your sewing room. Hope I can find the mojo to organize mine. It would be so dangerous for the two of us to shop with each other--your favorite fabric designers are also mine.

Love your basket blocks. OK, so I didn't read all the above comments, but what about that fabric to the right? The purple tiny floral. Have you auditioned that for the centers? Just sayin'........ You've been very busy, lots of good stuff in this post.

Before I forgot : the diagonal stripes ! Well said :)I am dreaming in front of the prices in America for the fabric...sigh ;) You've got lots of trheads in your happy place and I have the same plan but not as much as you ! Ah Ah ! And your little quilt is very very cute !

Any way the stipes go is good. Random is hard to do with the centers. Using the Perfect Circles is the Best! The smaller centers are better. You baskets look great. Yea for a Flimsy, even if it's Mini. I see Blue Bowties in those Baskets. Possible name???

Wow Janet - That's quite a thread collection! I own three spools of Aurifil thread, but I HAVE realized that it creates less lint and is much thinner than my other threads. Do you have a good source for buying them at a good price? Great sale on fabrics - was that at Stylish Fabrics - I like 'em! (Maybe I should drive up to partake!) The basket quilt is so sweet - I love the pattern and the fabrics both.

Your wee baskets quilt is a lovely combination of your Mum's scraps and your father's shirt. Judging from the comments, I'm not sure if you will use the strips in your dresdens, but if you do, either direction seems work for me, as long as you are consistent from block to block. Nice wee shopping haul, you should get a few more minis out of that lot!!!

Such a cute little basket quilt, and so special that it's made with your dad's shirt and your mom's scraps. I don't blame you for buying more fabric - you got some great buys! Not sure about the centers for your dresdens. I don't think I love the stripe - sorry!

Hello Janet, I just came over from Mrs. Goldeneedle to meet you. I'm a fellow believer and also quilter in northern Colorado. I love reading your blog and will follow you. Firstly, I also love Aurifil and have found they are coming out with more and more colors-there are some amazing ones on Keepsake Quilting. I've got the basics, but when I see a new one that I don't have I always get it. I can't decide which direction I like your stripes going on your Dresdin Plate. I just saw another comment above that I also need to read. Looking forward to getting to know you.Hugs, Noreen

I love your basket blocks and especially how carefully you cut and stitched the sashing. Plaids can sometimes be squirrely and hard to align, especially when using a rotary cutter.

Your spool holders look great. I always love to see colors arranged in a rainbow effect. My experience with thread is pretty limited. I often use what's on hand, especially for sewing blocks together.

Nice selection of sale fabrics, and with your favorite purples, too!

Oh, those little Dresden centers.... (Such a sweet quilt.) Because it's such a small quilt and because every other aspect of the quilt is so carefully created, I would want to fussy cut the centers so the stripes are in the same position in each block and I would align all of them in the same direction. I've often thought but never tried making striped centers by making 4-patch blocks with the stripes going the same direction in the diagonal blocks. I think it would be an interesting effect (in my limited-vision mind's eye) but would probably not be effective in such a small quilt. I'm looking forward to seeing what you decide!

I kind of like the centers in a diagonal direction. The fabrics are wonderful!! I am anticipating a "shop" and the LQS that gives a discount for birthday week. I've started a list and have a gift certificate to help it along! You are so organized!!

For those prices, I would have bought a lot more un-needed fabric!!! You clearly don't have a naughty kitty or grandchild with all those pretty threads so organized and out in the open. I will lend you Z and see what becomes of those spools. Bwahahahahah!

About Me

My priorities are my faith, family, freedom and fun. I have a wonderful husband, four great grown children and five precious grandchildren. I love to quilt, read, walk, garden, make soap, watch old movies and play Euro-style board games. I am trying to come to terms with gluten-free baking.